{"id":41535,"date":"2020-01-10T10:04:04","date_gmt":"2020-01-10T14:04:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=41535"},"modified":"2020-01-10T10:04:04","modified_gmt":"2020-01-10T14:04:04","slug":"the-wwii-mosquito-network","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/the-wwii-mosquito-network\/","title":{"rendered":"The WWII “Mosquito Network”"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Many thanks to SWLing Post<\/em> contributor, Marty, who shares this article by Mark Durenberger in Radio World<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Inside the U.S. effort in a battle of the airwaves during the Pacific campaign of World War II<\/strong><\/p>\n

We can\u2019t fully appreciate the importance of news from home to those who served in World War II. In the Pacific campaigns, G.I.s, sailors and Marines fought bloody island-hopping battles; as each island was cleared, garrison troops and hospitals moved in and carried on their own war against mosquitoes, isolation and boredom. The island fighters were fortunate if dated mail caught up with them before they moved on to the next target. Timely personal-level communications were pretty much absent.<\/p>\n

Radio programming from America was available but only on shortwave. And shortwave radios were not generally available. The fortunate few had been issued \u201cBuddy Kits\u201d that included a radio, a small PA system and a record player for discs sent by mail. But for most there was no way to receive short-lived information such as news and sports. They were left with enemy radio propaganda such as Japan\u2019s \u201cOrphan Ann\/Annie\u201d (aka one of several Tokyo Roses) and the \u201cZero Hour\u201d program.<\/p>\n

No wonder that the idea of having a local island radio station doing \u201clive from home\u201d was so fiercely supported. Enlightened commanders saw the idea as a terrific morale-builder. The only problem was how to pull it off.<\/p>\n

A solution, not uniquely, came from within the ranks. It started with the work of some bored but talented soldiers in the Panama Canal Zone who in 1940 built a couple of 50 W transmitters and put them on the air without authorization, labeling them \u201cPCAN\u201d and \u201cPCAC.\u201d[…]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Click here to continue reading the full article at Radio World.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Marty, who shares this article by Mark Durenberger in Radio World: Inside the U.S. effort in a battle of the airwaves during the Pacific campaign of World War II We can\u2019t fully appreciate the importance of news from home to those who served in World War II. In the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3,288,43],"tags":[8245,634,676,1301],"class_list":["post-41535","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","category-radio-history","category-shortwave-radio","tag-mosquito-network","tag-radio-world","tag-wwii","tag-wwii-radio"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-aNV","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":27612,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/08\/kgeis-role-in-wwii\/","url_meta":{"origin":41535,"position":0},"title":"KGEI’s role in WWII","author":"Thomas","date":"August 17, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: The Daily Journal via Richard Cuff) KGEI: A forgotten WWII radio story Sometimes history is hidden in plain sight or site \u2014 as is the case of a blockhouse-shaped building located, appropriately, on Radio Road in the Redwood Shores area of Redwood City. There is no plaque to remind\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Zenith-Dial-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Zenith-Dial-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Zenith-Dial-2.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":25375,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/04\/the-raaf-no-4-wireless-unit-never-to-march-never-to-be-mentioned\/","url_meta":{"origin":41535,"position":1},"title":"The RAAF No. 4 Wireless Unit: Never to march, never to be mentioned","author":"Thomas","date":"April 26, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor,\u00a0Neil Bolitho, who shares the following story\u00a0in reply to our post yesterday Australian Codebreakers in WWII. Neil writes: Never to march, never to be mentioned. Since the end of the Second World War, many thousands of returned service personnel have marched at Anzac Day services\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/RAAF-Recruitment-Poster.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/RAAF-Recruitment-Poster.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/RAAF-Recruitment-Poster.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":31278,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2018\/03\/wading-river-wwii-fbi-covert-radio-station-listed-on-the-national-register-of-historic-places\/","url_meta":{"origin":41535,"position":2},"title":"Wading River: WWII FBI covert radio station listed on the National Register of Historic Places","author":"Thomas","date":"March 21, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: Riverhead Local via Mike Hansgen) A house on the bluffs at Camp DeWolfe in Wading River, covertly used as an FBI radio transmission station during World War II to gather military intelligence, has been added to the state and national registers of historic places. FBI radio operators impersonating German\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/CampDeWolfe-1024x683.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/CampDeWolfe-1024x683.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/CampDeWolfe-1024x683.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14357,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2015\/08\/rhode-islands-wwii-farmhouse-monitoring-station\/","url_meta":{"origin":41535,"position":3},"title":"Rhode Island’s WWII farmhouse monitoring station","author":"Thomas","date":"August 14, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Mike (AC4NS), who shares a link to this fascinating article by Tom Mooney? in the TheProvidence Journal. Here's an excerpt: \"There was nothing remarkable to see on Chopmist Hill in 1940 when, a year before the Japanese would attack Pearl Harbor and bring America\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"SX-99-Dial","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/SX-99-Dial-1024x192.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/SX-99-Dial-1024x192.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/SX-99-Dial-1024x192.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":22745,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/12\/the-role-of-radio-intelligence-before-the-pearl-harbor-attack\/","url_meta":{"origin":41535,"position":4},"title":"The role of radio intelligence before the Pearl Harbor attack","author":"Thomas","date":"December 7, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor,\u00a0Michael Guerin, who writes: Interesting article from the US Naval Institute on the role of radio intelligence before and during the December 7 attack. \"The key to the success of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor-specifically, what enabled the Pearl Harbor Striking Force to reach\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Attack_on_Pearl_Harbor_Japanese_planes_view-1024x726.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Attack_on_Pearl_Harbor_Japanese_planes_view-1024x726.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Attack_on_Pearl_Harbor_Japanese_planes_view-1024x726.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":54300,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2022\/10\/tokyo-rose-exploring-the-story-of-iva-toguri-and-genesis-of-the-zero-hour\/","url_meta":{"origin":41535,"position":5},"title":"Tokyo Rose: Exploring the Story of Iva Toguri and Genesis of “The Zero Hour”","author":"Thomas","date":"October 9, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"If you've been an SWLing Post reader for long, you'll likely know that I'm a Word War II history buff and I especially enjoy exploring the deep rabbit hole that is WWII radio and propaganda. Radio broadcasts were heavily used by all of the players in WWII, and some prominent\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Tokyo-Rose-Zero-Hour-Graphic-Novel-2.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Tokyo-Rose-Zero-Hour-Graphic-Novel-2.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Tokyo-Rose-Zero-Hour-Graphic-Novel-2.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Tokyo-Rose-Zero-Hour-Graphic-Novel-2.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Tokyo-Rose-Zero-Hour-Graphic-Novel-2.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41535","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41535"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41535\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41535"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41535"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41535"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}